Colonel Daniel Webster Tucker
Colonel Daniel Webster Tucker was a character who appeared in the Season 8 finale episode of the CBS-TV series M*A*S*H titled "April Fools". The part of Col. Tucker was played in the episode by veteran character actor Pat Hingle. About Colonel Tucker and a practical joke rash Potter, as he said in his own words, put the "kibosh on all tomfoolery" ''that began to take place amongst the medical staff as April Fools' Day approached; when he learns that the 4077th is about to be inspected by Col. Tucker, who has reputation amongst the units he visits as being a firebreathing, Army-regulation quoting stickler who, according to Potter, ''"Picks his teeth with a rusty nail", and whose favorite words are "Courts Martial"! Klinger, sensing an opportunity, decided to pull a scam where he'd act like the perfect soldier, dress uniform and all, and then go the full crazy route, hoping that'll earn him a Section 8. Going against Potter's direct order, Hawkeye, B.J., and Winchester get back at Margaret (after she pranked them all) by removing all the canvas from her tent, leaving everything else untouched. Margaret runs to the Swamp to protest, where waiting for her in Hawkeye's cot is a skeleton, which elicits a scream from her. The Swamp rats laugh in delight, causing a pillow fight which spills out onto the compound...right into the path of the incoming Col. Tucker (Pat Hingle), who is not amused. Tucker berates everyone, including Potter (although this is a guise to the medical staff, for Tucker is an old buddy of Potter's who served with him in both World Wars, I & II). The only person he's seemingly impressed with is Klinger, who shows up in his dress uniform, with a copy of Stars and Stripes ''under his arm, ready to direct Tucker to the V.I.P. Tent. The next day, Tucker has nothing but criticism for the medical staff, hurling insults and sarcasm when they protest his lack of respect for their efforts. In Post Op, he goes further by insulting Margaret who is trying to see his side of things, saying ''"I hardly need the support of a woman." After a confrontation outside, Tucker puts them all on report (which is only an act, for had secretly been working with Potter on a joke to pull on everyone upon his visit), and then tells them all that he plans to bar them all from medical service and have them court-martialed. At this moment, Klinger does the switcheroo (after talking to Rizzo on his approach in trying to get a Section 8), dressing as Cleopatra while working in his office. Col. Tucker is horrified that "The only good man here" has been "broken" by the 4077th. Potter can't believe Tucker is falling for this, and they go off to Potter's office to argue about it. Meanwhile, in the Swamp, Hawkeye, B.J., Margaret, and Winchester decide that if they're going to get busted, they might as well go out in style - pulling off one giant prank on Tucker. In the O Club, they set it up so Tucker asks for his trademark "shot and a beer", which gets him dumped with a bucket of beer from the rafters. Tucker is apoplectic, red-faced with rage. He screams at Hawkeye, collapsing onto the bar and then onto the floor. They are all stunned, thinking they've brought on a heart attack. The O Club goes silent, and Tucker asks for Hawkeye. As Hawkeye gets in close, he whispers: "April Fools." Hawkeye, confused, looks at the others. Then Tucker bolts up from the floor, arm in arm with Potter, laughing hysterically. Turns out this was an April Fool's plot hatched by the two of them, weeks in advance, pulled off masterfully! Potter bet that if pushed hard enough, Hawkeye and the rest "would pull a giant stunt like this", and they "Fell for it...like a school of hungry carp." Later, in the O Club, Potter and Tucker - who have been friends since WWI - talk about other pranks they've pulled, and how they also managed to fool Klinger this time, too. Right on cue, Klinger walks in, still dressed as Cleopatra, asking when he and Tucker are leaving camp. Everyone else breaks up into laughter, prompting Klinger to ask, "What's so funny?" Category:M*A*S*H television series characters Category:Notable characters